Katharians
Katharians were one of the five member races of the Gauss Dominion. Katharians were relatively unremarkable in their biology comparison with the other races of the GD. Aside from their amphibious nature they had the least defining physical attributes of any species, they would lose an unarmed matchup with any other GD race, possessing less strength and no natural defenses or unique organs apart from those that made them aquatic. Because of their ability to interbreed with the humans of planet Farr (Farrians) they were believed to be a genetic offshoot or subspecies. However they have three fingered hands and feet with a very similar bone structure to that of a Go’shii. Traits Katharians were well-adapted to a homeworld in where seasonal tides varied the depth and positioning of the ocean by tens of meters and thus were equally well adapted to live on land and in water, and had an instinctive ability to swim at extremely high speeds. They tended to prefer warm, humid climates while on land and could function both in shallow and deep water. Katharians could be a wide variety of colors; (blue, gray, white green, indigo, violet, in order of most common to rarest) with the potential of having spots, stripes, tabby markings, multiple colors, patches of bioluminescence, and their eyes could be many colors (silver, bronze, black, bluish-gray, white or gold, in order of most common to rarest). These could be branded as “offcolors”, “miscolors”, or “mutants”. Slender Body Their extremely slender bodies which made them prohibitively fragile and lack strength with comparison to other humanoids, though they could swim (as fast as many species could run), bearing gills on the sides of their ribcage which could recycle their blood as effectively as their lungs. Gills Katharians had gills on the side of their ribcage that allowed them to breathe underwater and transition to open air seamlessly. Tebeku The head-tendrils, or Tebeku, A Go’shii word for any form of tail or body part that grew from the head was used to describe the Katharian’s tendrils on their heads. These had two functions; serving as pressure bladders which could regulate the pressures of their blood and internal fluids when diving to depths or surfacing quickly, and also used to propel the head allowing it (the largest and least hydrodynamic part of their body) along. Normally Katharians had four but could have as few as three or as many as seven tendrils on their head and they could vary greatly in length from well above the shoulder to midway down the back. Kongue (Headstone) The Kongue or headlamp was just that; a small cell on the forehead containing bioluminescent skin cells. In broad daylight its glow was unnoticeable but in the depths of the sea or the dark of night its glow helped to guide Katharians to food or to locate one another. Katharians were extremely adept at picking out subtle color and size differences and could often identify their family members and close friends in pitch darkness by the light of their Kongue alone. Food Sources Most Katharian food was grown underwater and many Katharians were adept in underwater agriculture and fish farming. Amongst the most common crop was Sea-Wheat. This kelp-like plant grew in huge fronds underwater extremely quickly though it was not particularly nutrient-rich and provided mostly empty calories. During the Dominion’s times of expansion it was a crucial crop as it was the only way to feed their ever-expanding numbers, and is, to this day is still grown in aquaponics modules aboard starships. Sea wheat is a very versatile crop. It can be eaten raw, or ground into dough. This dough can be used to make pastas, wraps, or baked into breads. Though due to it lacking in proper nutrition it was often seasoned with various corals (or something from another culture entirely.) Culture Katharian culture (or lack thereof) was built around an idea of absolute conformity. Katharians tended to art, fictional literature, and music, as having taste in such was seen by their culture as deviation. It was believed that deviation from the norms of society bred rebellion and divergence and would therefore lead to the suffering and discord, and possibly the collapse of their society. What arts they did posess were offered limited expression and interpretation as everyone was expected to read the same basic meanings from their art. Part of this was genetic as studies showed the reward centers of the brain would fire when Katharians worked together to complete a task, which is a likely explanation for why their society is so well unified. These ideals ran so deep that Katharians tended to discriminate against their own kind. Katharians tended to randomly be born of a wide variety of colors tended to be the subjects of harsh discrimination in schooling and the workplace as did those who were abnormally tall, short, thin or stocky; as plain blue-gray skinned Katharians with silver eyes were by far the most common, and commonly accepted. Often times a few imperfections would be begrudgingly tolerated, but major, glaring differences in behavior or appearance from the norm were cause for taunting and discrimination. The society was also highly matriarchal with women playing the dominant role in almost every setting. Female Katharians were larger and physically stronger, while males did make for faster swimmers and better hunters. Female Katharians had an additional advantage in that they had full fidelity over who they choose to mate with and marry, as they could secrete a pheromone that triggered the male’s otherwise dormant sex drives. Female Katharians often receive better pay, a more robust education segregated from the males, and were given some more leeway with regards to being born with abnormalities. Katharian children did not go through the Dominion’s standardized education system, instead going through one controlled and funded solely by the Katharain government. This education system was extremely rigorous, with a strong focus on math, science and history. Those whom showed below average performance (Or were off color) would often be unfairly and harshly graded in their performance and booted from the program. With the GD government teaching values of universal acceptance the Katharians living in the core sectors of the galaxy (Sectors 1 and 2) generally faced far less discrimination across gender and color boundaries (sometimes none at all) and were much more free to explore arts and literature. These Katharians living in core sectors (Often called Neo-Katharians) often despited the cultural values of their home septant and had a rebellious streak. In these core septants the Katharians developed their own less than respectable reputation for sea-whiskey (made from Katharian Sea-Wheat), Pounding electronic music, illicit substances and illegal and dangerous cybernetic body modifications, although this was due to a problematic minority spoiling the reputation of Neo Katharians, whom were often refugees from Sector 3 attempting to escape gender and color discrimination. Role in the Dominion The Katharians were something of the black sheep of the Dominion. They more often than not found the interests of their own people grinding against the interests of the collective. The had bad relations with both the Cauldarions (Due to having been involved in a prolonged and bloody war through most of the space conflict era) and Mediocines (Due to having enslaved the Mediocines) and had a direct cultural clash with the Go’shii who by far had the most political influence. More prominent Katharians, those who did well in their education would often become engineers or starship pilots. Less well adjusted ones tended to wind up maintenance workers or office clerks. A great many Katharians worked in an office environment managing finances and corporate assets for the Dominion’s many corporations and organizations. A great many Katharians prefered the conformity and group environment of the military and as such Katharains often tirelessly and without complaint or deviation staffed the low ranking positions on the countless starships in the GDAN Neo-Katharians had an absolute smorgashboard of careers; as they were encouraged to pursue whatever made them happy. However the Katharians agreed least with the Dominion. The primarialy Go’shii governing body had made numerous efforts to instigate social reforms in their education and society; demanding equal rights for males and females and that they switch over to the Dominion’s standardized education system, something which many traditionalists viewed as a corrupting influence on their society. What did not help was the fact that in the early years of the Dominion the Katharians had formerly been an economic and military juggernaut possessing the largest military and GDP of any sector; but had been gradually supplanted by the other sectors since. With the settling of numerous Agri-worlds by the Farrians making high quality food more readily available, the economic power posessed by the Katharian sea-wheat farming was undercut significantly, and with the formation of Assidious Cooperative Shipyards, government shipbuilding was nationalized and no longer a viable source of wealth to the Katharian sector, as such they lived in a state of perpetual economic decline, leading to a sizable separatist movement developing, the Federation of Free Katharian Planets which sought to separate their people from the Dominion. Category:Aliens